ARA Alferez Sobral (A-9)
|Ship flag = |Ship name = USS Salish (ATA-187) |Ship laid down = 29 August 1944 |Ship launched = 29 September 1944 |Ship commissioned = 7 December 1944 |Ship renamed = Salish, 16 July 1948 }} |module2= |module3= |module4= |Ship name=ARA Alférez Sobral (A-9) |Ship acquired = 10 February 1972 |Ship status = }} |module5= single screw |Ship speed = 13 knots (24 km/h) |Ship complement = 45–49 |Ship armament = as Salish • 1 × single 3 inch/50 guns, • 2 × twin 40 mm AA guns as Alférez Sobral • 1 × 40 mm /60 Bofors gun, • 2 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannon }} }} ARA Alférez Sobral (A-9) is an aviso in Argentine Navy service since 1972. She had previously served in the US Navy as the fleet tug . US Navy service Built by Levingston Shipbuilding Co., at Orange, Texas as a ''Sotoyomo''-class rescue tug served as USS Salish (ATA-187) from 1944 to 1972. Argentine Navy service The ship was named after Antarctic explorer Alférez José María Sobral (1880–1961). She was acquired 10 February 1972 departing with her sister-ship [[ARA Comodoro Somellera (A-10)|ARA Comodoro Somellera]] from Mayport, Florida on 6 March 1972 and arriving Puerto Belgrano on 18 April. Falklands War In the early hours of the morning on 3 May 1982, the ship was hit by three Sea Skua anti-ship missiles fired by British Westland Lynx HAS.Mk.2/3 helicopters. At the time the ship was approximately 60 nautical miles (110 km) north of the Falkland Islands searching for the crew of a downed Canberra (B-110) bomber that had been shot down two days earlier by an AIM-9 Sidewinder AAM (air-to-air missile) fired from a British BAe Sea Harrier FRS.Mk.1 (XZ451). The Sobral was initially spotted by a Westland Sea King helicopter. When the helicopter approached to investigate, it was shot at by the vessel's 20 mm fore cannon. The helicopter immediately retreated and called for assistance. In response and launched their Westland Lynx HAS.Mk.2/3 helicopters. Coventry Lynx (XZ242) attacked first, firing two Sea Skua (air-to-surface) anti-ship missiles. One of the missiles narrowly missed the bridge, the second hit Sobral fiberglass motorboat, injuring the crew of a 20 mm cannon and knocking out the radio aerials. Twenty minutes later Glasgow Lynx (XZ247) launched two more missiles. One or perhaps both of these missiles struck the bridge, causing extensive damage. In total the attack killed eight of the crew — including the ship's captain, Lieutenant Commander Sergio Gómez Roca — and injuring eight. The Sobral lost all her electrical power, radio, radar and compass.El Sikorsky S-61N que pasó por Argentina The only navigational guide available to the crew was the direction of the waves at the time of the attack. She was found and helped by the Sikorsky S-61N LV-OCL (a civilian aircraft requisitioned by the Argentine Air Force as part of Escuadron Fenix and piloted by 1st Lt Lucero) which evacuated the injured. Sobral was then assisted by the civilian trawler María Alejandra''Muñoz, Jorge (2000) ''Misión Cumplida. Editorial Epopeya, p. 141 and finally reached Puerto Deseado two days later on 5 May. The attack had occurred at the approximated position . Post-war The ship survived the conflict and remains in naval service. The ship's badly damaged bridge is currently on display at the Naval Museum in the city of Tigre, Argentina. The name of Argentina's final Espora class corvette was renamed to honour her captain. Goméz Roca was the first commander of the Argentine Navy to be killed on the bridge of his ship since the war with Brazil in the 19th century.[http://www.gacetamarinera.com.ar/nota.asp?idNota=1838&idSec=7 Rememoran el ataque al aviso “Sobral”] La Gaceta Marinera, 5 May 2010. The aviso [[ARA Teniente Olivieri (A-2)|ARA Teniente Olivieri (A-2)]] bears the name of the Guardamarina (Midshipman) Olivieri who was also killed in the action.A-2 official site Since 1993 she had been homebased at Ushuaia until February 2010 when she moved to Mar del Plata switching places with ARA Gurruchaga (A-3).[http://www.gacetamarinera.com.ar/nota.asp?idNota=1635&idSec=7 Un navío heroico con nuevo puerto en Mar del Plata] In 2001 she assisted the expedition ship Caledonian Star which had been struck by a rogue wave during transit of the Drake Passage.[http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=54730 Llegó a Ushuaia el crucero averiado y no podrá zarpar] References * * The Fight for the Malvinas, Martin Middlebrook, ISBN 0-14-010767-3 External links * Histarmar Site pictorial * naval-history.net: Details of the Falklands War incident * nafts.org: Pictures of the damage done by the Sea Skua missiles * [http://www.fuerzasnavales.com/flomar/ficha_buque_sotoyomo.htm fuerzasnavales.com: Technical Specs and picture of ARA Sobral] * [http://www.ara.mil.ar/pnav_buques.asp#08 ARA official website: Side view (profile) of ARA Alférez Sobral] * [http://www.ara.mil.ar/poder_naval/buques_superficie/pnav_esp_avisos_sanaviron.htm ARA official website: Technical Specifications of ARA Alférez Sobral] Category:1944 ships Category:Falklands War naval ships of Argentina Category:Sotoyomo-class tugs of the Argentine Navy Category:Ships transferred from the United States Navy to the Argentine Navy Category:Maritime incidents in 1982